Tomas Alfredson Picks Up and Charlize Theron Dumps THE DANISH GIRL

Director Tomas Alfredson, best known for the vampire cult hit “Let the Right One In”, has signed on to direct “The Danish Girl”, based on the book by David Ebershoff about Einar Wegener, the first person to undergo a male-to-female sex change back in 1931. Wegener will be played by Nicole Kidman, but according to Variety, Charlize Theron, the other big name attached to play Wegener’s wife, just left the project. Will the project be able to walk without her? More after the jump.

I think I like Alfredson, but I’m still not entirely sure. By the time I got around to seeing “Let the Right One In” it had been so overhyped, I was expecting the second coming of Christ, and was sorely disappointed. All the same, Alfredson did some things with it I really liked. It requires something special to take a doe-eyed twelve-year-old and dance that fine line between savage/disgusting and vulnerable/endearing with her, which he certainly accomplishes. I think my big issues were more with the mechanics of the story than with the direction itself, but like I said, I’m unsure.

I’m sad to see Theron go. I love the actress as much as the next guy, but Alfredson’s a hot property right now–as evidenced by the mad dash to adapt his last work, now dubbed “Let Me In” and helmed by Matt Reeves (“Cloverfield”)–and I see the potential for an Oscar contender with “The Danish Girl”. Then again, I suppose we’ll have a better idea about that when the film actually releases in 2011.